The Latest: Brownback tweets religious freedom is 'first'

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's plans to nominate Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as ambassador at large for international religious freedom (all times local):

8:55 p.m.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has tweeted that religious freedom is "the first freedom" and he is honored that President Donald Trump plans to nominate him for a related ambassadorship.

The White House announced Wednesday that Trump will nominate Brownback to serve as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Brownback is expected to step down as governor to take the post, but his office wasn't saying when.

Brownback tweeted from his official governor's account that religious freedom is "the choice of what you do with your own soul."

He said he is honored to "serve such an important cause."

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7:45 p.m.

The chairman of the Kansas Republican Party says Gov. Sam Brownback will be remembered as a governor who advanced conservative goals on abortion, gun rights and tax cuts.

But a top Democrat says Brownback will be thought of as an unpopular governor who engineered a failed tax-cutting experiment.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to nominate Brownback to serve as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Brownback isn't saying when he would step down as governor.